Taylor County Disaster Risk

Taylor County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 38th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Taylor County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (54th percentile), wildfire (37th percentile), flooding (21th percentile), earthquake (19th percentile), hurricane (10th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 54th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Taylor County's composite risk percentile is 38th, compared to the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Taylor County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Iowa.

Yes, Taylor County's tornado risk is at the 54th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Taylor County is at the 21th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Taylor County's composite risk score of 38th percentile is below the Iowa state average of 40th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is tornado at the 54th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.